I hit up the International Market today!!!

[Cook Chatty Cathy]

Hip Hip Hooray I found an Intl. Mkt. here where we are vacationing. I was able to stock up on some rather impossible to find ingredients and I am stoked!!

Tahini, Ghee, Grape Leaves, Grape Seed Oil, and Rose Petal water to name a few. Boy did I luck out!

We also went to a deli that had the most delicious Gyro's, then found a little store that had some Cuban Papa Rallenos! It's too awesome!

[jglass]

That is wonderful!

[Cook Chatty Cathy]

Yes JG it was so much fun running here & there and everywhere finding all these cool places to eat or shop!

I am a big fan of Cuban food having grown up in Miami, FL and surrounded by my fantastic Cuban neighbors! I had a neighbor that I called "Abuela" which means grandmother, and it never failed she would step out on the back porch and yell "venaca Cathy" which means come here. Well you know I didn't skip a beat I'd be in her kitchen in a second flat. She would have me taste this and that and I would be at the dining room table next thing you'd know and my plate would be heaped high with all kinds of terrific food! She spoke no English and I only understood a little Spanish but we both spoke the same language when it came to good food!!! She would glow when she would watch me eat! God Bless her, and thank goodness I had a fast metabolism or I would have been a chunky gal

Then my brother married a woman that is of Lebanese descent, and she turned me on to Middle Eastern cusine....another great experience in my culinary travels.

And well then there is Mexican, Italian, and Puerto Rican, and Jamaican, and Greek and....................well we'll see I just got all those new cookbooks

[jglass]

Sounds like you have a very diverse palate. Growing up in KY I was raised on greens, cornbread and fried chicken lol.

[KYHeirloomer]

And this is a problem how?

Toss in some soup beans & onions, Janie, finish with a slab of sweet potato pie, and you have the essence of Southern cooking.

Cathy, I must have missed it. Where are you vacationing?

[jglass]

KY have you ever eaten Poke? Should be about the time to find some. I could go for some with cornbread and green onions. If I can catch a break in the rain I may go look for some.

[Cook Chatty Cathy]

KYH we went down to Orlando, FL (not Disney) but anyway it is much more diverse there. Like you and my fiance having grown up in ethically diverse places (You guys New York & me Miami) we were exposed to many different cultures and cusines. I am grateful for that experience, but I am still learning IE: you were the 1st to mention tanguines I never heard of that before you. Then there was Ghee, and the way everyone here on the forum helps one another out and explains things it is a tremendous help. When my cook books came in and I started reading the Morrocan one there was Ghee!!! And in Orlando I found it, and rose water and Grape Seed oil and all the things I just discovered. I love this forum as it is an extension of my allready incuisitive self And I am thankful for that. I just read Nan's explanation of a gastrique and you know I just never thought enough of it to ask and I am glad JG did! And Nan gave a terrific explanation- and I am amazed and hey I just learned a new thing! This is why I truly appreciate this forum!

[KYHeirloomer]

I'm glad you were able to find some of those hard to get items. They make international cooking so much easier.

Wish I could have caught you while you still had access to those products, though. As you work through the Morrocan recipes you'll notice that Orange
Blossom water is an important ingredient---much more so, in fact, than the rose water.

Fortunately, you can always order it on-line if needs be.

BTW, been meaning to ask: Who's the publisher of that Morrocan book?

[Cook Chatty Cathy]

Hi KYH,
The author is Ghillie Basan. I did notice the orange water in many recipes, and I got a little carried away at the market, and had so many choices and limited funds so I chose the rose water over the orange. But good news!!!.....My sis-in-law to be works right across the street from the market and I can send her there for errands and have her ship me my order! I actually told her that I would be sending my shopping list monthly along w/ $50.00 for purchasing and mailing! She agreed woleheartedly. So we have a connection! I will be more that happy to send you some. We can make arrangements later, but I think it's fantastic for all of us.

I am going to venture into Atlanta one of these days as I know there is an Intl. Mkt. there somewhere. By the way gasoline averaged right @ 3.85 a gal. the whole trip. I just hate Atlanta and driving in that city is the worst!!! I prefer po' little back woodsy towns and the easy going Mayberry ways.

By the way I have heard of poke salad IE: a song called "Poke Salad Annie" I would like to try it someday!

P.S. I stopped to purchase orange blossom honey at one of those tourist trap joints, and they were way over priced I saw Tupelo honey there as well but I passed on principal that they would not get away with charging those kind of prices. So I got Mom on the phone (she is in Lakeland, Fl) and she will get me some of both at more reasonable prices. Let me know if you need some. I also have a man in Marrietta, GA that sells the sourwood honey...FYI.